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Hello all iam new to aikido and ive been looking around the site for some time grabbing up all the great info floating around this site. that said i got a few questions about some of the Manhattan Dojos. Does any one have any opinions about the ones not on the Dojo search function such as Ko Ku Shi Budo Institute or any of the others. Also feel free to share any thing about any of the Dojos that are listed! I intend on visiting as many as i can this weekend (unless i fall in love with one) and im just bored and trying to learn as much as possible.

Also can any one enlighten me up to the ki Aikido style. Personally i find that i don't like it as much as the other styles of Aikido. I watched a few randori's in the Ki style and it wasn't as appealing to me as other things i have seen. Can any one explain to me the big difference ( i don't know much so your going to have to explain as if i was a child).

Thanks in advanced for any help and keep up the great posts in general!

Hi Julian and welcome to AikiWeb. I would recommend you to take a free class at the New York Ki Aikido. You'll either sign up that date or move on to a different one. Ki development is an intergral part of the aikido and ki extension are developed along with the art. There are different levels of randori in the Ki Society. Brown belts up to shodan are mostly lapel grabs. Higher levels involves different attacks and of course corresponding throws. I've been doing Ki Aikido for over four years so I'm still new.

Also can any one enlighten me up to the ki Aikido style. Personally i find that i don't like it as much as the other styles of Aikido. I watched a few randori's in the Ki style and it wasn't as appealing to me as other things i have seen. Can any one explain to me the big difference ( i don't know much so your going to have to explain as if i was a child).

Thanks in advanced for any help and keep up the great posts in general!

I agree with you that I've seen some piss poor representations (in my not-so humble opinion) of Ki Society Aikido on youtube. It may behoove you to go watch a class at a local Ki Aikido dojo, but that experience will give you only a limited perspective of what Ki Aikido is. Like any style or martial art, there are some really good schools out there, probably a lot more poor schools though. FWIW I found this video the other day, and I think it's pretty good. But I will admit, I'm extremely biased towards Sensei!

Hi Julian, I hope you can find what you want. Ki Aikido must be experienced directly it is hard to judge only by seeing not experiencing, so I think you can test the sensei first before you join the dojo...

... Personally i find that i don't like it as much as the other styles of Aikido. I watched a few randori's in the Ki style and it wasn't as appealing to me as other things i have seen.
!

To each, his own.

If you dislike Ki Aikido (or any other M.A. \ style), go and find something else. I think it is important that you already observed that to be YOUR PERSONAL TASTE rather then some inferiority of this style or that.

There are two dojos in New York City that are taught by direct students of O'Sensei.

One is New York Aikikai. Yamada Sensei and Sugano Sensei teach classes there.

Shin-Budo Kai: Imaizumi Sensei teaches there. He was not only a direct student of O'Sensei, but was head of Ki Society in the Unites States before he became an independent teacher. I have been a direct student of Imaizumi Sensei for over 20 years now.

Bond Street Dojo: ASU dojo (associated with Saotome Sensei) has a lot of senior teachers there, although no direct students of O'Sensei. That is another very good place to train.

I would frankly go as close to the source/founder as possible. Try all of the dojo's for that matter. I have a markedly different opinion of Sensei Nour than the other posters and would not recommend that you go there if you are looking for "Ki."